Thursday, April 14, 2011

Lynas Scare & Insensitive Government

I have spoken up on the Lynas rare earth plant in Pahang on numerous occasions. It appears that the government, both state and federal, is insensitive and stubborn. The ruling regime has refused to listen to the people and their fears.

It appears that even the Australian people do not want the radio active waste being shipped back to their own backyard. Worse, a friend pointed out that we are giving a 12-year tax exemption to the operator of the plant. This is another example of arrogance of power.

It appears to me that Barisan wants to lose more elections and more states before it can eventually wake up from its slumber. I am not surprised if they might even lose the state of Pahang in the next general elections if this issues is not addressed.

Which is more important, ketuanan Melayu or health? Ask the Malays in Pahang especially Kuantan and they will be able to give a straight answer.

Get wise!

Do we need to sound so desperate? Is the acceptance of Lynas investment regardless of the health risks shows that we are no longer attractive to productive and knowledge based investors?

I am not sure of that Khoo. The Malays have one weakness - they are gullible to UMNO's promises. They can be convinced that this project is safe and good for them.And they will vote in BN as Pahang state govt. It is only the educated, the well informed who will protest but they will not get much support from the electronic and print media.Who cares about people's health when they can make money from this project.The people have made BN arrogant.

The quotation by lynas is misleading. Radioactivity is a statistical quantity. If I have 1 gram of highly radioactive substance and I dilute it with 1 ton of dirt the radioactivity is reduced to background radiation. Would you want to be buried in this 1 ton of earth ?

The radioactive particles from thorium are mostly in the form of alpha particles and from expert witnesses in the bukit merah trial such radon gas could be carried to the community by wind. And we have lots of wind as kuantan is located on the coast. All it takes is just a few radioactive particles into your system to cause dna damage. Gamma radiation has different characteristic as that of alpha particles. So to compare one with the other is really disingenuous.

Do you know that the argument by lynas was the same one used by mitsubishi chem in bukit merah ? The radiation level is so low in the building and surrounding that it is more dangerous to fly in air-plane. And yet the result to the folks in bukit merah is clear for everyone to see.

The Rare Earth Ore in australia has 12% monazite. And after processing 22000 tonne of ore every year lynas has over 120 tonne of sludge that has a high concentration or thorium compound. Ask curtis if he would be found within a few meters of this stuff ?

The sludge is the KEY ISSUE and so far lynas and even our atomic agency had avoided it like a plague. The radon gas (alpha particles radiation) can be spread far and wide and it was that reason that the court issued an injunction to the residence of bukit merah.

The residence of kuantan must seek a similar injunction if we were to stop lynas. The state and federal government cannot be counted on to have the interests of the rakyat at heart.

Khoo Kay Peng

Khoo Kay Peng

About Me

Kay Peng is a strategy and management consultant and a political analyst. He holds a bachelor degree in Economics from the University of Malaya and a master of arts degree in International Relations from the University of Warwick. He was a Kuok Foundation and a British Chevening scholar.

For more information on what he does; please visit www.i3mgroup.com

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